Stephen Hawking’s daughter asks students to write to aliens

Students in the Phoenix metropolitan area are competing in a contest called “Dear Aliens” in which the students each write an essay answering the following questions: What would you say to extraterrestrials if earthlings are contacted from outer space? If you had to speak for humanity, what would you say? The writing contest was launched by Lucy Hawking, daughter of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking.

According to the Arizona Republic, Lucy Hawking “is the writer-in-residence for ASU’s Origins Project, exploring the origins of the human race.”

Hawking has pointed out that the purpose of the contest is to spark the imaginations of students. The extraterrestrial theme has also been used by several schools in the UK as a topic for creative writing exercises. The essay contest is open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and the deadline for entry is April 1st. The winner of the contest will have their message broadcast into space via radio signals.

About Jason McClellan

Jason McClellan is a UFO journalist and the producer/co-host of the web series Spacing Out! He is also the web content manager and staff writer for OpenMinds.tv, and a co-organizer and technical producer of the International UFO Congress. As a founding member of Open Minds, Jason served as a writer and editor for the now defunct Open Minds magazine. He has appeared on Syfy, NatGeo, and, most recently, he co-starred on H2's Hangar 1: The UFO Files.
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